Painting Composition Class: How to Make a Viewfinder

How to Use the Viewfinder You've Made

Image: © Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc

• Hold the one L in your left hand, the 'right' way up and the other L in your right hand 'upside down'.
• Now place the one over the other so they overlap, forming a frame.
• You'll see that by moving the two L's, you change the format of the view. It can be square or a landscape or portrait format. You'll use this flexibility when looking at a scene to decide on a composition.
• Hold the two L's at arms length and move them across the scene looking at the potential compositions. Take a look at the photo of the paraglider above and consider how the different cropping or compositions influence the overall feel. A vertical or portrait composition emphasizes a feeling of height, whereas a horizontal or landscape composition gives more of a feeling of wide open spaces.
• Once you've decide how you want to view or crop your scene, use two clips to keep your L's in place. This stops them moving accidentally, which can happen if you're holding them in one hand, and enables you to put the viewfinder down.
• Get into the habit of holding the viewfinder at arm's length, rather than with your arm bent, so you get a consistent view through the viewfinder.

See Also: Painting Composition Class: Using a Viewfinder

• What You Need to Make a Viewfinder
• How to Use the Viewfinder You've Made
• Using Your Fingers as a Viewfinder